Ed Reed blasts reporters who suggest he’s in decline

Apparently, it takes more than a pair of working eyes to realize Ed Reed isn’t playing well.

The Jets safety hit reporters with the classic “never played the game” card, saying that their lack of understanding was the problem, not his diminished skills.

“That’s football, man,” Reed replied when asked about missed tackles, via Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. “We in this locker room have been playing football for a long time. Nobody’s perfect out here on this football field. You guys’ jobs is to critique, be critics. That’s why you ask a controversial question—to try to be controversial and then trash people in the media. I could care less about that.

The 35-year-old safety, who was cut by the Texans earlier this year, admitted he had higher expectations. But he insisted that if you didn’t watch film, you aren’t qualified to realize that losing a starting job for a 2-12 team is considered a negative in most places.

“Everything I’ve been through, I’ve been through for a reason, to learn a lot,” he said. “Even reading you guys’ blogs, listening to your comments, knowing half of y’all don’t know as much about football as you think you do, unless you come and sit in the film with us, and break the film down. You don’t even know the schematic part of it.

“You can ask the questions, but that don’t mean that you’re an expert at what we do. It’s funny to me. Reading it, I smile at it, laugh at it, but that’s your job. Some of your jobs, you tear people down, [or] try to, and tear the team down, not understand that it’s a team. You’d rather point the finger at one individual. It’s not an individual game. It’s a team sport—totally a team sport.”

Reed never seemed to have a problem with the intellect of the assembled media when he was being described as being good at playing football. But apparently, with time, our minds have grown as slow as he is on the field.

You know, I’ve always found it odd that Ed was scapegoated for the Texans. Like, they lost a ton of games, but they had the #1 pass defense when he was there. Their problems were almost wholly due to Schaub melting down and the subsequent trainwreck, so I don’t see why everyone is blindly saying Reed did poorly there. Yes, he missed some tackles, but tackling was never his strong suit even in his prime.

meatcarroll says:Dec 20, 2013 3:14 PM

You know, I’ve always found it odd that Ed was scapegoated for the Texans. Like, they lost a ton of games, but they had the #1 pass defense when he was there. Their problems were almost wholly due to Schaub melting down and the subsequent trainwreck, so I don’t see why everyone is blindly saying Reed did poorly there. Yes, he missed some tackles, but tackling was never his strong suit even in his prime.

“Reed never seemed to have a problem with the intellect of the assembled media when he was being described as being good at playing football. But apparently, with time, our minds have grown as slow as he is on the field.”

Darin, my man, you hit the nail on the head.

Ed, why didn’t you retire with Ray instead of soiling your HOF legacy with this sorry type of play?

“Reed never seemed to have a problem with the intellect of the assembled media when he was being described as being good at playing football. But apparently, with time, our minds have grown as slow as he is on the field.”

Simple joke from a simple man. At that point in time your ignorance and foolishness was not affecting Ed’s career negatively. Never mistake that, for the ignorance and foolishness not being there.

Reed hasn’t tried to truly tackle a player going back to the season before his last with the Ravens. I really like the guy, and he is going to be a HOF’er, but C’mon man don’t act like your game is not at all different then when you were going to the pro bowl.

The power of denial in aging football stars is as great as it is in aging boxers. I don’t like Ray Lewis, but I’ll give him credit for retiring when he did; too bad, Ed didn’t join him with a graceful exit instead of this sad story of decline and denial.

jakec4 says:Dec 20, 2013 4:04 PM

A lot of people thought that Reed is no longer in Baltimore because Harbaugh wanted it that way because of the player mutiny thing last year he was one of the leaders of. The truth would appear that Oz knows when you let a guy with a bum hip go regardless of his name. If Ed can’t play in a Rex Ryan defense he can’t play in any defense. He should just enjoy his last two gamees as an NFL player and stop being so salty. In five years he’ll go into the HOF, and nobody will even really remember his failed year after he left the Ravens.

3 yrs ago, he was among the greatest to have ever played the game at his position. Now, he is mentally in the game, but his body ain’t movin the way he’s thinking! Please Ed, retire before u embarrass yourself further…

Ed Reed is a football legend and because of a few missed plays he is now considered to be finished. He is right in that he is being judged by people who have never played the game and don’t understand it. Good on you Ed for speaking out. There are those who appreciate your value as a football icon.